man of property-第36部分

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ittle　group；　the　ladies'　heads　tilted　suddenly；　there　was　a　spasmodic　screening　movement　of　parasols；　James'　face　protruded　naively；　like　the　head　of　a　long　bird；　his　mouth　slowly　opening。　　The　shield…like　rounds　of　the　parasols　grew　smaller　and　smaller；　and　vanished。

Young　Jolyon　saw　that　he　had　been　recognised；　even　by　Winifred；　who　could　not　have　been　more　than　fifteen　when　he　had　forfeited　the　right　to　be　considered　a　Forsyte。

There　was　not　much　change　in　them！　　He　remembered　the　exact　look　of　their　turn…out　all　that　time　ago：　Horses；　men；　carriageall　different　now；　no　doubtbut　of　the　precise　stamp　of　fifteen　years　before；　the　same　neat　display；　the　same　nicely　calculated　arrogance　ease　with　security！　　The　swing　exact；　the　pose　of　the　sunshades　exact；　exact　the　spirit　of　the　whole　thing。

And　in　the　sunlight；　defended　by　the　haughty　shields　of　parasols；　carriage　after　carriage　went　by。

〃Uncle　James　has　just　passed；　with　his　female　folk；〃　said　young　Jolyon。

His　father　looked　black。　　〃Did　your　uncle　see　us？　　Yes？　　Hmph！　What's　he　want；　coming　down　into　these　parts？〃

An　empty　cab　drove　up　at　this　moment；　and　old　Jolyon　stopped　it。

〃I　shall　see　you　again　before　long；　my　boy！〃　he　said。　　〃Don't　you　go　paying　any　attention　to　what　I've　been　saying　about　young　BosinneyI　don't　believe　a　word　of　it！〃

Kissing　the　children；　who　tried　to　detain　him；　he　stepped　in　and　was　borne　away。

Young　Jolyon；　who　had　taken　Holly　up　in　his　arms；　stood　motionless　at　the　corner；　looking　after　the　cab。




CHAPTER　VII

AFTERNOON　AT　TIMOTHY'S


If　old　Jolyon；　as　he　got　into　his　cab；　had　said：　'I　won't　believe　a　word　of　it！'　he　would　more　truthfully　have　expressed　his　sentiments。

The　notion　that　James　and　his　womankind　had　seen　him　in　the　company　of　his　son　had　awakened　in　him　not　only　the　impatience　he　always　felt　when　crossed；　but　that　secret　hostility　natural　between　brothers；　the　roots　of　whichlittle　nursery　rivalries　sometimes　toughen　and　deepen　as　life　goes　on；　and；　all　hidden；　support　a　plant　capable　of　producing　in　season　the　bitterest　fruits。

Hitherto　there　had　been　between　these　six　brothers　no　more　unfriendly　feeling　than　that　caused　by　the　secret　and　natural　doubt　that　the　others　might　be　richer　than　themselves；　a　feeling　increased　to　the　pitch　of　curiosity　by　the　approach　of　death　that　end　of　all　handicapsand　the　great　'closeness'　of　their　man　of　business；　who；　with　some　sagacity；　would　profess　to　Nicholas　ignorance　of　James'　income；　to　James　ignorance　of　old　Jolyon's；　to　Jolyon　ignorance　of　Roger's；　to　Roger　ignorance　of　Swithin's；　while　to　Swithin　he　would　say　most　irritatingly　that　Nicholas　must　be　a　rich　man。　　Timothy　alone　was　exempt；　being　in　gilt…edged　securities。

But　now；　between　two　of　them　at　least；　had　arisen　a　very　different　sense　of　injury。　　From　the　moment　when　James　had　the　impertinence　to　pry　into　his　affairsas　he　put　itold　Jolyon　no　longer　chose　to　credit　this　story　about　Bosinney。　　His　grand…　daughter　slighted　through　a　member　of　'that　fellow's'　family！　He　made　up　his　mind　that　Bosinney　was　maligned。　　There　must　be　some　other　reason　for　his　defection。

June　had　flown　out　at　him；　or　something；　she　was　as　touchy　as　she　could　be！

He　would；　however；　let　Timothy　have　a　bit　of　his　mind；　and　see　if　he　would　go　on　dropping　hints！　　And　he　would　not　let　the　grass　grow　under　his　feet　either；　he　would　go　there　at　once；　and　take　very　good　care　that　he　didn't　have　to　go　again　on　the　same　errand。

He　saw　James'　carriage　blocking　the　pavement　in　front　of　'The　Bower。'　So　they　had　got　there　before　himcackling　about　having　seen　him；　he　dared　say！　　And　further　on；　Swithin's　greys　were　turning　their　noses　towards　the　noses　of　James'　bays；　as　though　in　conclave　over　the　family；　while　their　coachmen　were　in　conclave　above。

Old　Jolyon；　depositing　his　hat　on　the　chair　in　the　narrow　hall；　where　that　hat　of　Bosinney's　had　so　long　ago　been　mistaken　for　a　cat；　passed　his　thin　hand　grimly　over　his　face　with　its　great　drooping　white　moustaches；　as　though　to　remove　all　traces　of　expression；　and　made　his　way　upstairs。

He　found　the　front　drawing…room　full。　　It　was　full　enough　at　the　best　of　timeswithout　visitorswithout　any　one　in　itfor　Timothy　and　his　sisters；　following　the　tradition　of　their　generation；　considered　that　a　room　was　not　quite　'nice'　unless　it　was　'properly'　furnished。　　It　held；　therefore；　eleven　chairs；　a　sofa；　three　tables；　two　cabinets；　innumerable　knicknacks；　and　part　of　a　large　grand　piano。　　And　now；　occupied　by　Mrs。　Small；　Aunt　Hester；　by　Swithin；　James；　Rachel；　Winifred；　Euphemia；　who　had　come　in　again　to　return　'Passion　and　Paregoric'　which　she　had　read　at　lunch；　and　her　chum　Frances；　Roger's　daughter　（the　musical　Forsyte；　the　one　who　composed　songs）；　there　was　only　one　chair　left　unoccupied；　except；　of　course；　the　two　that　nobody　ever　sat　onand　the　only　standing　room　was　occupied　by　the　cat；　on　whom　old　Jolyon　promptly　stepped。

In　these　days　it　was　by　no　means　unusual　for　Timothy　to　have　so　many　visitors。　　The　family　had　always；　one　and　all；　had　a　real　respect　for　Aunt　Ann；　and　now　that　she　was　gone；　they　were　coming　far　more　frequently　to　The　Bower；　and　staying　longer。

Swithin　had　been　the　first　to　arrive；　and　seated　torpid　in　a　red　satin　chair　with　a　gilt　back；　he　gave　every　appearance　of　lasting　the　others　out。　　And　symbolizing　Bosinney's　name　'the　big　one；'　with　his　great　stature　and　bulk；　his　thick　white　hair；　his　puffy　immovable　shaven　face；　he　looked　more　primeval　than　ever　in　the　highly　upholstered　room。

His　conversation；　as　usual　of　late；　had　turned　at　once　upon　Irene；　and　he　had　lost　no　time　in　giving　Aunts　Juley　and　Hester　his　opinion　with　regard　to　this　rumour　he　heard　was　going　about。　Noas　he　saidshe　might　want　a　bit　of　flirtationa　pretty　woman　must　have　her　fling；　but　more　than　that　he　did　not　believe。　Nothing　open；　she　had　too　much　good　sense；　too　much　proper　appreciation　of　what　was　due　to　her　position；　and　to　the　family！　No　sc。。。；　　he　was　going　to　say　'scandal'　but　the　very　idea　was　so　preposterous　that　he　waved　his　hand　as　though　to　say'but　let　that　pass！'

Granted　that　Swithin　took　a　bachelor's　view　of　the　situation　still　what　indeed　was　not　due　to　that　family　in　which　so　many　had　done　so　well　for　themselves；　had　attained　a　certain　position？　　If　he　had　heard　in　dark；　pessimistic　moments　the　words　'yeomen'　and　'very　small　beer'　used　in　connection　with　his　origin；　did　he　believe　them？

No！　　he　cherished；　hugging　it　pathetically　to　his　bosom；　the　secret　theory　that　there　was　something　distinguished　somewhere　in　his　ancestry。

〃Must　be；〃　he　once　said　to　young　Jolyon；　before　the　latter　went　to　the　bad。　　〃Look　at　us；　we've　got　on！　　There　must　be　good　blood　in　us　somewhere。〃

He　had　been　fond　of　young　Jolyon：　the　boy　had　been　in　a　good　set　at　College；　had；　known　that　old　ruffian　Sir　Charles　Fiste's　sonsa　pretty　rascal　one　of　them　had　turned　out；　too；　and　there　was　style　about　himit　was　a　thousand　pities　he　had　run　off　with　that　half…foreign　governess！　　If　he　must　go　off　like　that　why　couldn't　he　have　chosen　someone　who　would　have　done　them　credit！　And　what　was　he　now？an　underwriter　at　Lloyd's；　they　said　he　even　painted　picturespictures！　　Damme！　he　might　have　ended　as　Sir　Jolyon　Forsyte；　Bart。；　with　a　seat　in　Parliament；　and　a　place　in　the　country！

It　was　Swithin　who；　following　the　impulse　which　sooner　or　later　urges　thereto　some　member　of　every　great　family；　went　to　the　Heralds'　Office；　where　they　assured　him　that　he　was　undoubtedly　of　the　same　family　as　the　well…known　Forsites　with　an　'i；'　whose　arms　were　'three　dexter　buckles　on　a　sable　ground　gules；'　hoping　no　doubt　to　get　him　to　take　them　up。

Swithin；　however；　did　not　do　this；　but　having　ascertained　that　the　crest　was　a　'pheasant　proper；'　and　the　motto　'For　Forsite；'　he　had　the　pheasant　proper　placed　upon　his　carriage　and　the　buttons　of　his　coachman；　and　both　crest　and　motto　on　his　writing…paper。　　The　arms　he　hugged　to　himself；　partly　because；　not　having　paid　for　them；　he　thought　it　would　look　ostentatious　to　put　them　on　his　carriage；　and　he　hated　ostentation；　and　partly　because　he；　like　any　practical　man　all　over　the　country；　had　a　secret　dislike　and　contempt　for　things　he　could　not　understand　he　found　it　hard；　as　anyone　might；　to　swallow　'three　dexter　buckles　on　a　sable　ground　gules。'

He　never　forgot；　however；　their　having　told　him　that　if　he　paid　for　them　he　would　be　entitled　to　use　them；　and　it　strengthened　his　conviction　that　he　was　a　gentleman。　　Imperceptibly　the　rest　of　the　family　absorbed　the　'pheasant　proper；'　and　some；　more　serious　than　others；　adopted　the　motto；　old　Jolyon；　however；　refused　to　use　the　latter；　saying　that　it　was　humbug　meaning　nothing；　so　far　as　he　could　see。

Among　the　older　generation　it　was　perhaps　known　at　bottom　from　what　great　historical　event　they　derived　their　crest；　and　if　pressed　on　the　subject；　sooner　than　tell　a　liethey　did　not　like　telling　lies；　having　an　impression　that　only　Frenchmen　and　Russians　told　themthey　would　confess　hurriedly　that　Swithin　had　got　hold　of　it　somehow。

Among　the　younger　generation　the　matter　was　wrapped　in　a　discretion　proper。　　They　did　not　want　to　hurt　the　feelings　of　their　elders；　nor　to　feel　ridiculous　themselves；　they　simply　u